


The Way Home

by jujitsuelf



Category: The Losers (2010), The Losers (Comic), The Losers - All Media Types
Genre: GIs in England just before D-Day, M/M, Pre-Relationship, World War 2 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-01
Updated: 2013-10-01
Packaged: 2017-12-28 03:08:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/986948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jujitsuelf/pseuds/jujitsuelf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If ever he was going to grab his courage with both hands, surely this was the time...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Way Home

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer – All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended
> 
> ****
> 
> Thank you to 3white_mage3 and saral_hylor for the read-throughs
> 
> ****
> 
> This isn't a direct continuation of 'Just An Average War' but it might help to read that one first, just to get used to the idea of Cougar and Jensen being GIs in the 1940s.

England - 1944

It was an uncomfortable feeling, being so incredibly scared that your guts felt like a hundred snakes, twisting over themselves again and again.

Jake inhaled another long drag from his cigarette and chanced a glance at Cougar. He looked the same as he always did, cool, calm, utterly collected and unfazed by anything. His dark eyes followed the couples on the dance floor, his cigarette dangled negligently from two fingers. For a moment Jake wasn’t sure whether he envied Cougar or hated him.

There were twice the usual number of rumors flying around. Something big was coming, the Allies were planning a really big push, maybe a full-scale invasion, straight across the Channel and into France.

Of course, nobody knew any actual details, guys like Jake didn’t get to know where they were going or why. They were just told to go and do their duty and die like men if they had to. Another wave of nerves swept over Jake, he swallowed hard and tried to ignore the need to throw up.

“You shipping out soon?” he was proud that he managed to keep his voice from shaking too badly.

Cougar nodded. “So I hear.”

“Wish I was in your unit.” Jake took another moody sip of warm British beer. “They don’t tell us anything. We just wait and wait and go slowly crazy.”

“War won’t last much longer.” Cougar’s voice didn’t change, but the absolute confidence in it made Jake look up.

“You think so?”

“Yeah.”

“You think we’ll get to Berlin before it’s over?”

Cougar shrugged. Jake nodded. Yeah, what did it matter who got to Berlin as long as the whole bloody mess ended soon?

When the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor in ‘41, Jake had greeted the news with a steely determination to enlist as soon as he could and fight for his country. Now, three years later, he’d seen the true cost of war and just prayed it would all be over as soon as possible.

“Still can’t get transferred to your unit,” he said unhappily. “Spoke to my C.O. again today but he says he’s got more important things to worry about than making me happy.”

Cougar screwed up his face. “Bastard.”

“Yep.”

They sat in silence for a while.

“If you get to France first, find me a good cafe, will you?” Jake tried a smile on for size, then let it slip as his facial muscles seemed to spasm. “Same goes for Germany.”

“Sure,” Cougar’s smile didn’t look forced at all. Didn’t the man have any nerves?

“Cougs,” Jake shifted in his chair and leaned forward, suddenly desperate to say the words he’d been practicing in his head for a week.

Cougar looked at him expectantly. Jake’s breath caught in his chest. Dear God, they could both be dead in days. If ever he was going to grab his courage with both hands, surely this was the time.

“Cougs.” He licked his lips. “Um. I know this is probably wishful thinking and feel free to shoot me down right now but...” his heart was thundering in his chest, almost deafening him. “I like you.”

Damn, why wasn’t he as smooth as Clark Gable? Even Robert Taylor would do, but no, here he was stuttering along like Bob Hope. Cougar would probably laugh at him. He wet his lips again.

“If by any chance we both manage to survive this whole thing, I, um...well I’m from New Hampshire and my sister has a house there. All being well, I’ll head there when I’m out of the army. If you felt like it you could...I don’t know, come visit?”

Sliding the slip of paper with Jessica’s address on it across the table to Cougar’s waiting fingers felt a bit like taking on a Panzer division all by himself. Unutterably stupid and maybe suicidally brave enough to get him a medal.

Cougar’s face didn’t change as he looked at the note, but his eyes softened just a fraction. “Thanks. Maybe I will.”

Jake smiled faintly. Somehow, it felt as though a ton weight had been lifted from his shoulders. At least he could face whatever the enemy threw at him knowing he’d done what he wanted to do beforehand.

“Another beer?” Cougar asked, rising to his feet, lithe and dangerous.

“Yeah, thanks,” Jake drained his glass, grimaced at the taste and handed it over.

Cougar vanished through the crowd of uniforms. Jake watched him go, still smiling a little.

****

New Hampshire - 1946

Cougar looked at the dog-eared piece of paper in his hand, then up at the house before him. Well, it was the same address. Would Jake be there? Had he even survived the war? Or would Cougar be intruding on a family’s grief if he knocked on the door?

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. His stubble rasped against his palm, maybe time to get a shave.

The night Jake had handed him the little note was clearly ingrained in his memory. Jake’s obvious nerves, his stumbling speech, his relief when he’d said his piece. Cougar had fully intended to say something in return but as ever, when it got to a serious conversation, the words got stuck in his throat.

It had been impossible to keep in touch with Jake in the chaos of D-Day and the Allied advance which followed it. Cougar tried his best to glean what news he could of Jake’s unit and winced every time he heard they’d taken casualties.

By some miracle he wasn’t about to question, he himself had made it through the war unscathed apart from a stray splinter of shrapnel in his left thigh. His fingers found the scar through his pants, rubbing it unconsciously.

Suddenly feeling reckless, Cougar stuffed the note in his pocket and strode up the little garden path. There were rose bushes and lilies either side of it and their heady perfume wafted up to tickle his nose.

A fist rose to knock on the white-painted door, damn, it was his own. How about that? His breath stilled as footsteps sounded inside the house. What was he doing? Who was to say Jake would even remember him?

The door opened silently, moving easily on well-oiled hinges. Cougar opened his mouth to apologize, if he said he had the wrong house he could just run away. The words never made it out into fresh air.

Jake’s smile was dazzling. “Cougar.” He breathed it like a prayer. “You came.”

“Yeah,” Cougar took off his hat and ran a hand through his too-long hair. “Yeah, I did. Hope you don’t mind.”

“No, I don’t mind.” Jake’s eyes were soft and very blue. “I’ve been waiting for you.” He pulled the door open a little more. “Come in.”

Ducking his head and feeling more bashful than he had for years, Cougar stepped over the threshold. Jake’s hand rested on his shoulder for a second and he knew he’d come home.


End file.
